When I am looking for recipes, I get really annoyed about having to open so many links to review the ingredients and/or instructions, only to find that most of the recipes do not meet the criteria of what I’m looking for. This is why I like to create recipe indexes. I pick a recipe topic area, do the research, and summarize the ingredients and any special considerations for preparation. Then I insert the link, so that if the summary appeals to you, you can follow the link to the recipe.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Do you feel
like you need to eat more vegetables? I
actually like vegetables, but sometimes just feel at a loss for ideas of
vegetable dishes to eat. I have done a
brief summary of recipes for 22 common vegetables. There are 3 recipe summaries for each vegetable,
which lists the ingredients and a thumbnail of how to prepare. If a recipe sounds promising, just follow the
link for the full recipe.

Arugula and Roasted Beets: Wrap beets in foil and
bake at 400° for 1 hour. Cool, peel, and
dice. Blend together balsamic vinegar,
olive oil, salt and pepper. Dress
arugula with mixture, and divide into 4 servings. Add red onion, walnuts, and avocado to
arugula. Top with beets and feta
cheese.

Arugula and Roasted Beets Salad

(Personal Photo)

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Roasted Beets n Sweets: Peel beets and cut into large
cubes. Toss with olive oil and spread on
baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15
minutes. Combine olive oil, garlic
powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a plastic bag. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunks. Chop large sweet onion. Place potatoes and onions in bag with oil and
seasoning and shake to coat. Add
potatoes and onions to beets on baking sheet and bake an additional 45 minutes,
stirring after about 20 minutes.

Broccoli Casserole: Cook chopped broccoli and
chopped onion in water in a saucepan until tender. Drain and mix with shredded cheddar cheese,
mayonnaise, mushroom soup, and eggs.
Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes.

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Broccoli with
Mock Hollandaise: This is my go-to
veggie. Salt broccoli florets and steam
until tender. Blend mayonnaise and lemon
juice together, and serve over broccoli.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Preheat oven
to 375. Trim Brussels sprouts and half
lengthwise. Toss with a couple
tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1-2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and
toss. Place sprouts on baking sheets cut
side down. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn and roast another 15 min. I’ve modified this one and coated with a
balsamic reduction after roasting. Just
put some balsamic vinegar in a pan and heat until reduced by about half
volume.

Roasted Carrots: This recipe was posted on
Pinterest for roasting carrot and zucchini sticks, but notes it can be used for
peppers, sweet potatoes and green beans.
Cut vegetables into 3” sticks, of even thickness. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and
spray with olive oil. Toss vegetables
with oil, then season to your taste, such as paprika, cumin, cayenne, crushed
red peppers, thyme, rosemary or sage.
You can also use spice blends such as Italian seasoning, Mexican, Cajun,
or Old Bay. Spread vegetables on baking
sheet and roast about 20 minutes (depending on what vegetable you choose) at
425°.

Roasted Eggplant and Seasoned Potatoes: Cut potatoes and eggplant into
1” cubes, and toss with salt, pepper, paprika, lemon zest, &/or chopped
herbs. Pour into a pan with oil, which
has been heated to sizzling hot in a 400° oven.
Stir to coat in oil. Return to
oven and roast about 30 minutes, stirring at about 15 minutes. Remove and add sliced garlic cloves. Cook another 15 minutes. Remove and squeeze lemon over eggplant and potatoes.

Baked Fennel with Parmesan and Thyme: Trim fennel
bulbs and cut lengthwise. Boil until
tender, then drain on paper towel. Place
in baking dish and brush with butter.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Top with Parmesan cheese and sprigs of thyme. Bake 20 minutes at 450°.

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Garbanzos with Fennel: Soak dried garbanzo beans overnight,
then drain and rinse. Place in large pot
with vegetable stock, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until beans are tender, about 45
minutes. Heat olive oil, minced garlic,
basil and diced tomatoes in skillet. Add
fennel and chopped onions to garbanzo beans, and cook 15 minutes. Add tomato mixture and green peas to
garbanzos and heat until peas are cooked.

Saag Paneer (Indian Spinach and Cheese): I first
pulled Aarti Sequeira’s recipe from Food Network. Though designated as “easy”, it was quite
long. This one is
from Tyler Florence.Blanch spinach
until tender, and drain thoroughly.Cut
paneer cheese into cubes and fry in ghee to brown, then remove from pan.Sauté minced onions, minced garlic, and
grated ginger in ghee.Sprinkle with
curry powder and continue to cook 1 minutes.Add spinach and stir to combine.Turn off heat.Add buttermilk
and yogurt.Add paneer cheese and
salt.Serve over rice.

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Kale Crisps with Sea Salt and Lemon: Remove stems
from Tuscan kale, and cut into ribbons.
Toss kale with oil, and place on baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Toss and rotate baking sheet, and return to
oven for 7 minutes. Cool and sprinkle
with sea salt and lemon zest.

Savory Sautéed Leeks: Wash leeks and
slice. Cook bacon, then sauté leeks in
drippings. Make 4 evenly spaced
depressions, and crack 2 eggs into each well.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook until eggs are set.
Top with crumbled bacon, and chopped chives.

Okra and Chickpea Tagine: Add sliced okra to boiling water and cook 2 minutes, then transfer to
ice bath. Drain. Heat olive oil in tagine dish or large
saucepan. Cook diced bell pepper until
soft, then transfer to a bowl. Add diced
onion, minced garlic, and black pepper to pan and cook in the oil until
soft. Pour in diced tomatoes, bell
pepper, vegetable broth, cumin, and cilantro bundle. Add okra and cook until soft. Stir in cooked chickpeas and salt, and cook
until warm. Remove cilantro. Stir in hot sauce and garnish with bell
peppers.

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Okra Rice: Cook bacon, then remove and crumble. Drain all but a small amount of
drippings. Sauté chopped onion in
drippings. Add bacon, sliced okra and
broth. Simmer about 15 minutes. Add rice and water. Cover and cook until rice is fluffy.

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Onions

French Onion Soup: Place
thinly sliced onions, olive oil, sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper in baking
dish. Roast covered for 30 minutes at
450°. Uncover and cook another 75
minutes, stirring every 30 minutes.
Transfer caramelized onions to saucepan.
Stir in broth and water. Simmer
until liquid has darkened, about 20 minutes.
Deglaze baking dish with red wine.
Place pan on range and simmer to reduce liquid until thickened. Pour into onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Toast bread with Swiss cheese. Cut toast into 4 pieces and place 2 on each
serving of soup.

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Festive Onions: Sauté sliced onions in butter
and transfer to baking dish. Beat
together eggs and whipping cream. Add
salt and pepper. Pour over onions, and
top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 20
minutes at 425°.

Turnip and Parsnip Gratin: Peel and slice turnips and
parsnips. Boil in water until almost
tender. Drain and transfer to greased
individual serving round baking dishes.
Whisk together milk, flour, salt and pepper, and heat until
thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in
Gruyere cheese. Pour over
vegetables. Heat butter in skillet. Add panko breadcrumbs and toast in
skillet. Sprinkle panko over cheese
sauce and vegetables. Bake at 400° for
15 minutes.

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Potato Parsnip Mash: Peel potatoes and
parsnips, and cut into 1” pieces. Boil
in salted water with garlic, until tender.
Drain and return to pot. Heat
milk and butter, then pour over potatoes and parsnips. Add sour cream and mash with potato
masher. Add salt and stir with fork to
fluff.

PolentaStuffed Peppers: Sauté chopped onion in butter.
Add water, salt, pepper, and rosemary, and bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Simmer, whisking frequently about 5 minutes,
until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, sharp white cheddar cheese,
and corn. Cut red bell peppers in half,
and clean inside. Fill with polenta mix. Place in baking dish with some water. Cover and bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Top with more cheddar, and bake another 30
minutes.

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Tomatoes

Caprese Salad: This is a “deconstructed”
version. Make a pesto by pulsing almonds
or cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Add fresh basil leaves, olive oil, and
Parmesan or Asiago cheese, and blend.
Make a balsamic reduction by heating balsamic vinegar in a pan until
volume is reduced by approximately half.
Chop tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into cubes. Top with pesto and balsamic reduction.

Tomato Tart: Drizzle head of garlic with olive
oil. Wrap in foil and bake at 350° for
45 minutes. Cool, then squeeze cloves
out and mash. Prepare
pie crust dough according to Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee recipe, and place in
tart pan (or buy a prepared crust!).
Chill crust 30 minutes, then spread garlic on crust, then fontina
cheese. Arrange sliced tomatoes in an
overlapping pattern. Sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Top with more cheese, and
olive oil. Bake at 400°for 45 to 55
minutes.

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Yellow
Squash

Squash Casserole with Sour Cream: Wash yellow
squash, and cut into chunks. Boil in
water with chopped onion until squash is tender. Drain, pour into a bowl and mash. Add cream of chicken soup, grated carrot, sour
cream, cheddar cheese, and dressing mix.
Pour into greased casserole dish.
Top with more dressing mix.
Distribute cubes of butter over top.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Zucchini Chips: Slice zucchini into rounds very
thinly with a mandolin. Dry thoroughly
between layers of paper towel. Place
zucchini on baking sheets lined with parchment.
Arrange closely in rows, but do not overlap. Brush zucchini with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at 225° for 2 hours or more. Cool before removing from pan. Store up to 3 days in airtight container.